Indicating device



Aug 19 l93()- s. MGIRLICH 1,773,570

INDICATING DEVICE Filed CGt. 26, 1928 ATTO RNEY Patented Aug. Y 19,V 193@ einer Parenti critics i .sTEvE M. GInLIcH, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS INDICATING DEVICE Application filed October 26, 1928.` Serial No. 315,230.

This invent-ion relates to certain novel iin- Vprovenients in indicating devices, and has for vits principal object the provision of an improved constructon of. this character, which will be highly eiiicient in use and economical in manufacture. Y

The salient object of my invention is to provide a device which will be particularly adapted for indicatingthe mileage at which the oil in anautomotive Yvehicleshould be changed, andthis consists in providing a pluality of readily adjustable indicating memers. f l Y As is well understood in the art, a so-called greasing of an automotive vehicle is not carriedrout at each oiling thereof but iscarried out at longerintervals. Y l, therefore,-provide an indicating device which will be so. varranged that the number of oil changes made since the last greasingmay be indicated soit will be readily understood at what time this greasing should be carried out. l @ther objects will appear hereinafter. The invention consists in the novel combi- 25 nation and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed. Y

The invention will bebest understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of construction is shown, and in which Fig. 1 is a front view depicting a preferred form of construction for my device and in which certain parts have been broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2--2 on Fig. 1; and

l' Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view depicting one of the `indicating strips employed in my device; and y Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view taken sub- 40 stantially on the ,linel 4 4 on Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of construction for my device, I have indicated a mechanism, which as set forthhereintofore is adaptv ed for indicating the lubricating periods of an automotive vehicle. 1WhileA this is a preferred usage for my device, it is to be understood that it might be readily adapted to other uses without departing from the pur- .50 view of my invention. My improved con struction includes a body member 10 which is formed to be substantially box like, and which includes a back wall 11, and upwardly extending lip portions 12., A plate 13 vextends between the upperl edges'of the lip construction 12 and at spaced apart intervals corrugations or grooves 14 yare provided which are depressed inwardly with respect to the main container 10. These corrugations provide therebetween'passage-ways 15 which are utilized in a manner to be set forth hereinafter. The plate 13 is intended to be covered by a lid member 16 whichv conceals the palte 13 from view as clearly shown in Fig. 1. i S65 "The lid member 16 includes depending flanges which embrace the members 12 preferably by a' wedged t to tix this lid member in position.

Extending transversely across the device in the'cover member 16 is an opening 17 and Va central opening 18 is provided in alignment with this opening in the plate 13'.- Extending at rightangles tothe opening 17 are a plurality of spaced apart slots in the lid memberyl and Aslots 2O in alignment therewith and are formed in the plate 13. Theseslots 19 and 20 areu substantiallylaligned with the central line of the grooves 15. l f Disposed in the grooves 15 are the indicia carrying strips 21, which have.V in the present instance,`n`umerals provided thereon inV consecutive order as clearly illustrated in Fig.

3. `At one end of thestrips 21 the projection 22 is provided, which includes a right-angu- @85 larly yextending portion 23 that is intended to extend through the slots 19 and 20, yand an enlarged tingerportion 24 is provided on the outer endof the portion 23 which is disposed Y above the cover member 16. By gripping the l finger'portion 24, the strips 21 may be moved through the grooves 15 to bring different ones of the numerals thereon into alignment with the aligned openings 17 and 31. in this manner, 'any desired reading may be secured 95 dependent' obviously, upon the number of strips Y21'providedin the device of which there may be any desiredlnumber. k A

rranged on'the outer sideof thecover member 16adj acent one end thereof is a housin@ ing E26 which has an opening 27 formed in the uppei-.surface thereof, at substantially the midpoint.

In the present instance, I shovv this housing as having an auxiliary plate 29 disposed beloiv the cover plate 28 thereof, in which the opening Q7 is provided. In the present instance, corrugations 30 are provided in the plate 29 to define a groove 3l. In the groove 31 an indicating strip 32 is provided, Which is arranged in a manner substantially simi- 'lar to the indicating strips 2l and which includes a projecting portion 83 that extends through slots provided in the plates 28 and 29, and a finger portion 34 is provided for moving this indicating strip 32 through the groove 3l iii order to bring the indicia thereon into alignment with the opening?.

In order to prevent displacement of the indicating` strips 21 and 32 from the grooves in which they are mounted, I provide, in order to support the strips 21, a leaf spring 35 which is secured to the back 11 of the housing 10, and one of these leaf springs is provided for each of the strips 21 and which bear thereagainst so as to hold the strips in osition. A. similar leaf spring 36 is secured to the back of the housing 26 to hold the indieating` strip 32 in position.

It is apparent fi'oin the foregoingdescription that I have provided a relatively inexpensive construction, for an indicating meehanism in which any desired combination maf7 be provided. It is apparent that while I have descrihedmunibers as being the indicia on the strips. that this may be changed, to included other analogous indicia. Further, I have pointed out hereintofore, the device is not intended to be limited to the use I have set forth herein. asjit is readily apparent that the device may be used in a number of different Ways. y

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variations and modifications, Without departing from the purvievv of `my invention. I, therefore,do not Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth herein, but desire to avail myself of such variationsand modifications as comevvithin the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters'P'atent is:

, 1.l A device of the class described includinga substantially box like housing having inner ends of said slots indicia bearing strips in said passageways, another plate disposed over said rst named plate and having depending portions embracing the sides of said box like housing, said last named plate having slots therein aligned with said first named slots, meansr at one end of said indicia bearing strips extended through said slots, said second named plate having openings therein aligned with the openings in said first named plate, and resilient means bearing against said indicia bearing strips to hold said strips in said passage Ways.

2., In a device of the character stated, a housing having an open side, a. plate disposed over said open side having longitudinally extending Corrugations therein defining passage Ways in said plate, another plate disposed over said first named plate, said plates having slots therein disposed in alignment with substantially the midpoints ofsaid passage Ways and extended across said plates for a predetermined distance, said plates having aligned openings therein disposed in alignment with said passage Ways, indicia bearing strips in said passage Ways and having lug portions at one end thereof extended through said slots and having finger portions on the end thereof disposed extraneous said slots,

spring members -securedto the back wallof said housing and disposed against said strips to retain said strips in said passage Ways whereby when said finger portions are gripped' said strips may be moved through said passage Ways to align indicia thereon with saidV openings.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

STEVE M. GIRLIGI-I.

posedfat substantially the midpoint of said passage Ways and extending therethrough for a predetermined distance, said plate `having openings in said passage Ways at the 

